Organic is Healthier, More Nutritious, and Tastes Better

Studies show that organic food is more nutritious than non-organically produced.

They may also contain higher concentrations of antioxidants which ward
off cancer and heart disease. Apparently, "the health benefits were so
striking that moving to organic food was the equivalent of eating an
extra portion of fruit and vegetables every day."

More Nutrients

Over a two year period, organically and conventionally grown apples, potatoes, pears, wheat, and sweet corn were purchased in the western suburbs of Chicago and analyzed for mineral content. Four to 15 samples were taken for each food group. On a per-weight basis, average levels of essential minerals were much higher in the organically grown than in the conventionally grown food. The organically grown food averaged 63% higher in calcium, 78% higher in chromium, 73% higher in iron, 118% higher in magnesium, 178% higher in molybdenum, 91% higher in phosphorus, 125% higher in potassium and 60% higher in zinc. The organically raised food averaged 29% lower in mercury than the conventionally raised food. [Journal of Applied Nutrition 1993, 45: 35-39, Organic foods vs. supermarket foods: Element levels (Synopsis)]

In 2007 a study out of Newcastle University in the
United Kingdom reported that organic produce boasted up to 40 percent
higher levels of some nutrients (including vitamin C, zinc and iron)
than its conventional counterparts. Additionally, a 2003 study in the
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that organically grown
berries and corn contained 58 percent more polyphenols—antioxidants that
help prevent cardiovascular disease—and up to 52 percent higher levels
of vitamin C than those conventionally grown.

Recent research by that
study’s lead author, Alyson Mitchell, Ph.D., an associate professor of
food science and technology at the University of California, Davis,
pinpoints a potential mechanism to explain why organic techniques may
sometimes yield superior produce.

It’s a difference in soil fertility, says Mitchell: “With organic
methods, the nitrogen present in composted soil is released slowly and
therefore plants grow at a normal rate, with their nutrients in balance.
Vegetables fertilized with conventional fertilizers grow very rapidly
and allocate less energy to develop nutrients.”

A 2008 review by the Organic Center of almost 100 studies on the
nutritional quality of organic produce compared the effects conventional
and organic farming methods have on specific nutrients. The report’s
conclusion: “Yes, organic plant-based foods are, on average, more
nutritious.”

More Antioxidants

In addition to the berry study mentioned above, scientists at the University of California in
Davis grew two batches of kiwifruit; one organically and the other
conventionally with the attendant cocktail of herbicides, pesticides and
chemical fertilizer. Then compared the two. The organic ones showed 18%
more polyphenols and 27% more antioxidant activity. Polyphenols,
although sounding rather nasty, turn out to be good at reducing
cholesterol, improving blood circulation and according to some studies,
help in prevention of certain cancers. And antioxidants are said to be
pretty effective at duelling with free radicals, known for damaging
cells.

The
study published in the peer-reviewed British journal of the Society of
Chemical Industry, "suggests that the organic plants, thrown onto their
own defenses against disease and predators, are more "stressed" and
therefore produce more of these beneficial compounds." And it's not the
first time such reseach has popped up.

Better Taste

Chef and restaurateur, Dan Barber, will only use organic because he claims it tastes better. Is it true? A 2001 study by researchers at Washington State University concluded that organic
apples were sweeter. Along with taste and sweetness, the texture and
firmness of the apples were also rated higher than those grown
conventionally. These differences are attributed to the greater soil
quality resulting from organic farming techniques compared to those of
conventional farming.

Ken over at The Cooksden,
a cool foodie blog, put together an awesome video with his daughter. They wanted to test in as objective a manner as possible
whether organic food tastes better than “normal” food. So they used the
most unbiased critic they could find – her hamster Hammy. When all was said and done, Hammy chose organic. In over sixty percent
of the trials that resulted in a clear selection, Hammy opted for the
organic item. See the video.

Additionally, a survey from the UK's Organic Body and Soil Association shows that 72% people buy organic because it tastes better.

One explanation of why organic tastes better is that organic food contains less water than conventionally grown food. This is because conventional fertilization methods include
nitrogen, which causes more water to be absorbed into the cells of the
produce than when it is not fertilized with nitrogen. In fact, studies
have shown that the use of nitrogen causes an increase of 5-30% more
water in produce than in foods grown ecologically, which do not use
nitrogen in fertilizer.

Conventionally grown romaine contains 94.3% water, while ecologically
grown romaine contains 92.3% water. Conventional cabbage has been shown
to have about 1.1% more water than ecologically produced cabbage, and
conventional spinach has almost 10% more water than its ecological
counterpart.

What you may be able to guess from these figures is that ecological
produce has a greater percentage of dry components, which means a
stronger flavor and more concentrated nutrients. Produce that contains
more water will be more diluted in taste and in nutrition. According to
the research above, the taste difference may be between 2-20% less in conventionally grown produce, depending on the increase in the percentage of water in the food.

Another explanation to why organic tastes better is that since organic foods aren't protected by pesticides, organic fruits and
vegetables they are under constant attack from bugs and blights of all kinds.
This sounds like a bad thing but actually it's not.

When plants are under attack, they begin to ramp up
production of their chemical defenses. This can mean releasing an aroma
that attracts counter-attacking bugs (wasps for caterpillars, for
instance), manufacturing something toxic or distasteful to the insects
themselves, or producing an anti-fungal compound.

For us, these "defenses" translate directly into flavor and aroma. Because they're not protected by pesticides, organic plants
that suffer from insect attack can accumulate higher level of flavor
chemicals and other protective molecules, including antioxidants.

But the biggest benefit of organic food is that they have less toxins in
them; less things that we absorb in to our system that our bodies might
not know how to deal with.Thanks for reading! What do you think?

Hi, Great post. I like the way of your writing. After read this blog, I am planning to start taking organic foods. Let me know how to find difference between organic and conventional foods. Thanks for sharing useful information. Keep blogging.

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